Preconditioned air unit with self-contained cooling modules

ABSTRACT

A preconditioned air unit for supplying preconditioned air to an aircraft parked on the ground, the preconditioned air unit comprising a main unit with a housing accommodating a flow duct with an air inlet for ambient air and an air outlet for connection to the parked aircraft, a blower connected with the flow duct for generation of an air flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet, and a plurality of compartments, each of which is configured for accommodation of a self-contained cooling module comprising at least one refrigeration system, each of which includes at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expansion valve, and at least one evaporator connected in a flow circuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein each compartment is further configured so that the at least one evaporator interacts with the air flow in the flow duct when the self-contained cooling module is installed in the compartment, and wherein at least one self-contained cooling module is installed in the plurality of compartments.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is national phase of PCT/IB2010/051163 filedMar. 17, 2010, and claims priority from Danish Application Number PA2009 00393 filed Mar. 20, 2009.

The present invention related to a preconditioned air unit supplyingpreconditioned air, i.e. heated air or cooled air, to an aircraft parkedon the ground.

On the ground, an aircraft typically uses the auxiliary power unitengine (APU) to drive air-conditioning equipment to cool or heat theaircraft cabin to a temperature that is comfortable for passengers.However, operation of the APU has a high cost in terms of jet fuelconsumption, generated acoustic noise, CO₂ emissions, etc. For example,the APU of an A320 aircraft consumes app. 160 I fuel per hour. Inaddition to the general air pollution, the consumption of one liter ofjet fuel leads to emission of 2.5 kg CO₂ into the atmosphere and thus,the APU emits app. 400 kg CO₂ per operational hour.

In order to avoid running the APU on the ground, preconditioned airunits have been provided for supplying the required preconditioned airto the parked aircraft. The preconditioned air units are powered fromthe mains supply made available at the airport in question.

Cost, efficiency, flexibility, and serviceability remain an issue inknown preconditioned air units.

A new preconditioned air unit is provided for supplying preconditionedair to an aircraft parked on the ground. The new preconditioned air unitcomprises a main unit and one or more self-contained cooling modulesmounted in the main unit. The main unit has a housing with wallsdefining a flow duct with an air inlet for intake of ambient air to beconditioned to a low temperature, typically a temperature in the rangefrom −5° C. to +5° C., and an air outlet for connection to the parkedaircraft, e.g. with one or more hoses, for supplying the conditioned airto the parked aircraft. To prevent cooling losses, the outer walls ofthe flow duct may be provided with a layer of heat insulation material.

The main unit of the preconditioned air unit further comprises a bloweraccommodated in the housing and connected with the flow duct forgeneration of an air flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet. Theblower is preferably a highly efficient centrifugal fan. The blower ispreferably mounted with vibration dampers and attached with flexibleconnections to the flow duct.

The housing of the main unit has a plurality of compartments forreceiving and holding self-contained cooling modules. Each of theself-contained cooling modules comprises at least one refrigerationsystem each of which includes at least one compressor, at least onecondenser, at least one expansion valve, and at least one evaporatorconnected in a refrigerant flow circuit containing a refrigerant. Therefrigerant flow circuit forms a closed and sealed loop. Thus, theself-contained cooling module can be installed in the housing of themain unit without interfering with the at least one refrigeration systemof the module so that assembly and possible disassembly ofself-contained cooling modules in the housing can be performed bypersons without specific skills in the field of refrigeration systems.The self-contained cooling modules may be manufactured at a siteparticularly suitable for manufacturing of refrigeration systems forsubsequent integration with main units at another site particularlysuitable for manufacturing of airport ground equipment in generalthereby increasing manufacturing flexibility and decreasingmanufacturing cost of the preconditioned air units.

Preferably, the self-contained cooling module is removably installed inthe housing of the main unit facilitating separation of an installedself-contained cooling module from the housing, e.g. utilizing screws,nuts and bolts for fastening of the self-contained cooling module to thehousing and utilizing electrical connectors to establish the requiredelectrical interconnections between the cooling module and the main unitwhen the cooling module is inserted in the housing of the main unit.This increases the serviceability of the preconditioned air unit since apossible malfunctioning self-contained cooling module can be separatedfrom the housing of the main unit and substituted with a functioningmodule with a minimum of down time of the preconditioned air unit.Further, the malfunctioning module can be separated from the main unitand moved for repair at a remote site particularly suitable for repairof refrigeration systems, which is much more efficient than having todismount and move the entire preconditioned air unit for repair.

Throughout the present disclosure, the term “removably” means that themodule can be assembled with the main unit, and subsequentlydisassembled from the main unit without destroying the previousmechanical and electrical connections between the module and the mainunit, i.e. assembly and disassembly are performed using the same type oftools. This is for example the case when screws, nuts and bolts are usedfor fastening of a module in a housing of the main unit and electricalconnectors are used for the electrical interconnections betweenelectrical circuitry of the module and the electrical circuitry of themain unit, and this is not the case when, for example, the module iswelded to the housing of the main unit.

Preferably, the self-contained cooling module has physical dimensionssuitable for movement by a fork lift truck facilitating transportationof the module, e.g. for storage, assembly into preconditioned air units,and service. For example, a malfunctioning module can be removed fromthe housing with a fork lift truck and a properly functioning module canbe installed in the housing with a fork lift truck.

The self-contained cooling module operates in accordance with well-knownrefrigerator principles and with a well-known refrigerant, such as R134awith low global warming potential.

When a self-contained cooling module is installed in a respectivecompartment, a cooling surface of the at least one evaporator ispositioned for interaction with the flow duct for cooling of the airflow. The cooling surface may for example be positioned inside the flowduct for direct contact across a large surface area with the airflow inthe flow duct.

Provision of the plurality of compartments in the housing leads toseveral further advantages: The main unit may be equipped with powersupply and control circuitry and a user interface in such a way that themain unit may operate together with an arbitrary number ofself-contained cooling modules installed in respective ones of theplurality of compartments. For example, the preconditioned air unit mayoperate with a single self-contained cooling module installed in one ofthe plurality of compartments. Thus, a line of preconditioned air unitsmay be provided with different cooling capacities with the same numberof parts as required for provision of one preconditioned air unit with aspecific cooling capacity. This lowers manufacturing cost by loweringpurchase cost per part, and storage and handling cost both per part andper finished preconditioned air unit. For example, a preconditioned airunit with a housing containing four compartments can be manufactured infour versions with increasing cooling capability, namely onepreconditioned air unit with a single self-contained cooling module, onepreconditioned air unit with two self-contained cooling modules, onepreconditioned air unit with three self-contained cooling module, andone preconditioned air unit with four self-contained cooling modules.

In this way, the different preconditioning requirements of aircrafts ofvarious sizes and types can be fulfilled in a cost effective andflexible manner.

As in a conventional preconditioned air unit, the one or morecompressors of the new preconditioned air unit may be supplied from themains supply, e.g. with an AC voltage of 50 Hz in Europe and 60 Hz inUSA. In this way, the maximum capacity of each of the at least onecompressor is determined by the frequency of the mains supply. Each ofthe self-contained cooling modules may operate in an on/off controlcycle as is well-known from conventional preconditioned air units. In anon/off control cycle, each of the at least one compressor is turned onat the maximum capacity until the required cooled temperature setting,e.g. of air downstream the corresponding at least one evaporator, minusa certain margin is reached. Then, each of the at least one compressoris turned off. Each of the at least one compressor is turned on again atthe maximum capacity when the cooled temperature has increased above thetemperature setting plus a certain margin. Other conventional controlprinciples may also be applied, e.g. hot gas by-pass.

One or more of the compressors of the self-contained cooling modules maybe powered from a variable frequency driver. Advantageously, the outputvoltage and the frequency of the variable frequency driver in the newpreconditioned air unit are varied to control the at least onecompressor in accordance with the current cooling requirement.Preferably, the variable frequency driver keeps the ratio between theoutput voltage and the frequency substantially constant to maintain ahigh motor torque throughout the entire output frequency range. In thisway, each of the self-contained cooling modules may operatecontinuously, i.e. the output voltage and frequency of the variablefrequency driver may be adjusted to levels required by the at least onecompressor in order for it to cool the airflow interacting with therespective at least one evaporator in accordance with a control setting.This increases the life time and decreases power consumption of thecooling modules as compared to on/off control.

Further, the maximum capacity of a compressor driven by a variablefrequency driver may be increased as compared to the same compressorsupplied directly from the mains supply. For example, supplying acompressor with a supply voltage with a 75 Hz output frequency increasesthe cooling capacity of the compressor by 50% over the same compressorsupplied directly from the mains supply in Europe.

Preferably, the controller of the variable frequency driver (in thefollowing denoted “VFD-controller”) is capable of controlling thevariable frequency driver to output a variable output frequency, e.g.ranging from 0 Hz to the maximum rating of the compressor whereby theone or more compressors supplied from the variable frequency driver maybe controlled for provision of variable cooling capacity, e.g. inresponse to the temperature and flow rate of the air flow in the flowduct.

A plurality of variable frequency drivers may be provided for powersupply of respective compressors, e.g. each of the at least onecompressor may be powered from a separate variable frequency driver thatmay individually control and possibly adjust the cooling capacity of therespective compressor.

Each variable frequency driver may be located in any suitable positionin the housing of the main unit and suitably connected for power supplyof the required one or more compressors.

Preferably, each of the self-contained cooling modules comprises atleast one variable frequency driver connected for power supply of the atleast one compressor of the cooling module so that the preconditionedair unit is automatically equipped with the at least one variablefrequency driver required for power supplying of the at least onecompressor when the module is installed in the housing. TheVFD-controller(s) of the at least one variable frequency driver mayfurther perform data collection of parameter values sensed by sensors ofthe module, e.g. temperature sensors sensing the air flow temperaturebefore and after the at least one evaporator and the at least onecondenser, pressure sensors sensing the pressure of the refrigerant inthe at least one refrigeration system, etc.

The preconditioned air unit may further comprise at least one condenserfan for generation of a condenser airflow interacting with at least oneof the at least one condenser thereby increasing the heat removalcapacity of the at least one condenser.

Each of the at least one condenser fan may be located in any suitableposition in the housing of the main unit for provision of a condenserair flow within the housing. Each of the at least one condenser fan maybe located adjacent an air outlet in the housing for generation of acondenser air flow out through the outlet, and each of the at least onecondenser may be located adjacent an air inlet for interaction with thegenerated condenser airflow at ambient temperature. Obviously, thedirection of the condenser air flow may be reversed although in thiscase the condenser air flow may be heated by internal components withinthe housing before interacting with the at least one condenser.Alternatively, each of the self-contained cooling modules may compriseat least one condenser fan positioned adjacent the at least one of theat least one condenser of the module for generation of a condenserairflow interacting with at least one of the at least one condenserthereby increasing the heat removal capacity of the at least onecondenser. Hereby, the preconditioned air unit is automatically equippedwith the required condenser fan capacity when the module is installed inthe housing.

One or more of the condenser fans of the self-contained cooling modulesmay be powered from a variable frequency driver. In a conventionalpreconditioned air unit, the condenser fan is supplied from the mainssupply, i.e. with an AC voltage of 50 Hz in Europe and 60 Hz in USA, andthus, the condenser fan performance is locked to the frequency of themains supply. Advantageously, the VFD controller is capable of varyingthe output voltage and frequency of the variable frequency driver inorder to control the at least one condenser fan in accordance with thecurrent operational requirements, such as current pressure within the atleast one condenser, efficiency, etc. Preferably, the variable frequencydriver keeps the ratio between the output voltage and the frequencysubstantially constant to maintain a high motor torque throughout theentire output frequency range. The output frequency may range from 0 Hzto the maximum rated frequency of the at least one condenser fan. Aplurality of variable frequency drivers may be provided for power supplyof respective condenser fans, e.g. each of the at least one condenserfan may be powered from a variable frequency driver, e.g. a separatevariable frequency driver, which may control the condenser air flow rategenerated by the respective condenser fan.

Each variable frequency driver may be located in any suitable positionin the housing of the main unit and suitably connected for power supplyof the required one or more condenser fans.

Each of the self-contained cooling modules may comprise a variablefrequency driver connected for power supply of the at least onecondenser fan of the cooling module so that the preconditioned air unitis automatically equipped with the required variable frequency driverfor power supplying the at least one condenser fan when the module isinstalled in the housing.

The preconditioned air unit may further comprise a variable frequencydriver connected for electrical power supply of the blower.Advantageously, the VFD controller is capable of varying the outputvoltage and frequency of the variable frequency driver in order tocontrol the blower in accordance with the current operationalrequirements, primarily the amount of air allowed to be received in thetype of aircraft currently connected to preconditioned air unit.Preferably, the variable frequency driver keeps the ratio between theoutput voltage and the frequency substantially constant to maintain ahigh motor torque throughout the entire output frequency range. Theoutput frequency may range from 0 Hz to the maximum rated frequency ofthe blower.

Preferably, the preconditioned air unit has a central controller that isconfigured for controlling the operation of the preconditioned air unit.The central controller may be connected to a user interface forreception of user commands from a user and for outputting messages tothe user. The preconditioned air unit may comprise at least one of thefollowing: A user interface panel with input keys and a display, aremote control, a computer interface, a network interface, aloudspeaker, etc. For example, one of the primary user entries specifiesthe type of aircraft to be supplied by the preconditioned air unit. Thisinformation may be entered using entry keys of the user panel, or, usinga remote control from the passenger boarding bridge, or, may betransmitted from the building management system of the airport, etc.

The central controller may further be connected with some or all of theVFD-controllers of the preconditioned air unit for individual control ofthe VFD-controllers. For example, the central controller may output anindividual temperature setting to each of the VFD-controllers of thepreconditioned air unit, and, in response to the individual temperaturesetting, each of the VFD-controllers controls the cooling capacity ofthe respective at least one compressor to adjust the temperature of theairflow having interacted with the corresponding at least one evaporatoras required.

Further, each of the cooling modules may be configured for failuredetection so that, in the event that one of the installed self-containedcooling modules fails, the failing cooling module transmits a failuresignal to the central controller and, if required, shuts down. Inresponse to the failure signal, the central controller may operate toautomatically adjust the required amount of cooling among the remainingproperly operating self-contained cooling modules of the preconditionedair unit.

The central controller may be interfaced with some or all of theVFD-controllers and possibly other controlled devices, such as an SCRmodule controlling a heater in the flow duct, with a data and controlbus, such as the CAN bus.

The preconditioned air unit may have a rectifier circuit connected tothe mains supply input of the preconditioned air unit for generation ofa power DC voltage supply for supplying the variable frequency drivers.

In order to suppress distortion and pollution of the mains supply, therectifier circuit may comprise a 12-pulse rectifier, or a 18-pulserectifier, or a 24-pulse rectifier. etc.

The preconditioned air unit may share a mains power outlet with otherequipment at the parked aircraft, such as, a ground power unit, a cablecoil, vehicle chargers, etc. In order to lower the peak powerrequirement of the shared mains power outlet, the preconditioned airunit may comprise a power sharing control input for control ofpreconditioned air unit power consumption. The power sharing controlinput may for example be operated to lower the preconditioned air unitpower consumption during high load operation of the ground power unit,e.g. by lowering the cooling capacity provided by the preconditioned airunit when the ground power unit draws a high supply current. The groundpower unit typically only operates at maximum load during a short periodof time before push back from the gate until it is disconnected from theair craft at which point in time the aircraft's own air conditioningsystem takes over. Before then, the passenger cabin of the aircraft hasalready been cooled for some time and thus, again, lowering the coolingcapacity for a short period of time before push back does not seriouslydiminish the overall performance of the preconditioned air unit. Ingeneral, lowering the cooling capacity for short periods of time doesnot seriously diminish the overall performance of the preconditioned airunit.

The preconditioned air unit may be mounted underneath or on top of anpassenger boarding bridge and move freely with bridge actuation.Alternatively, the preconditioned air unit may be provided with pedestallegs for flexibility in preconditioned air unit location at an apron orin a hangar.

A plurality of the new preconditioned air units may be interconnectedfor supplying preconditioned air to a parked aircraft in cooperation.Two of the new preconditioned air units may for example be coupled inparallel in a master-slave configuration wherein the outputs of each ofthe preconditioned air units supply a common hose that is connected tothe parked aircraft and possibly split at the aircraft into two or morehoses for supplying possible individual inputs of the aircraft forpreconditioned air. The master may control the slave in such a way thatthe two preconditioned air units deliver substantially the same amountsof preconditioned air at substantially the same temperature to theparked aircraft. Other control principles may also be applied. Forexample, the CAN-bus of the cooperating preconditioned air units may beinterconnected for flexibility of control sharing between cooperatingunits.

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art bydescribing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a preconditioned air unit from above with the top removed,

FIG. 2 shows a preconditioned air unit in perspective with twoself-contained cooling modules withdrawn from their respectivecompartments,

FIG. 3 shows a self-contained cooling module in perspective,

FIG. 4 illustrates handling of a self-contained cooling module with afork lift truck,

FIG. 5 shows a preconditioned air unit in perspective ready formounting,

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical interconnections ofvarious modules and subassemblies of the preconditioned air unit,

FIG. 7 shows the user interface panel of the preconditioned air unit,

FIG. 8 shows another preconditioned air unit from above with the topremoved, and

FIG. 9 shows two preconditioned air units coupled in parallel in amaster-slave configuration.

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodimentsof the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied indifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an exemplified embodiment of the newpreconditioned air unit 10 for supplying preconditioned air to anaircraft parked on the ground. The preconditioned air unit 10 has a mainunit with a housing 12 with walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, 16 a, 16 b,18, besides top and bottom walls (not shown) defining a flow duct 20.Ambient air enters the flow duct 20 through an air inlet 22 in a sidewall 24 of the housing 12. The flow duct 20 is folded inside the housing12 so that walls 16 a, 16 b separate the flow duct into two parts withair flowing in opposite directions during operation of thepreconditioned air unit 10. The side wall also has an air outlet 25 forconnection to the parked aircraft, e.g. with one or more hoses, forsupplying the conditioned air to the parked aircraft. The direction ofthe air flow is illustrated by arrows 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, 26 d, 26 e. Airis aspirated through an easily replaceable filter 28 that is mountedacross the air inlet 22. To prevent cooling losses, the outer walls 14a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, including the top wall of the flow duct areprovided with a 50 mm thick layer of heat insulation material. At thebottom of the flow duct, heat insulation is provided underneath a plate(not shown) for collection of condensate.

A blower 30 is connected with the flow duct 20 for generation of therequired air flow from the air inlet 22 toward the air outlet 25. In theillustrated preconditioned air unit 10, the blower 30 is a highlyefficient centrifugal fan. The blower 30 is mounted with vibrationdampers and attached with flexible connections to the flow duct 20. Theflow duct 20 is dimensioned for low air speed in order to prevent freemoist carry-over.

An optional heater 32 is mounted in the flow duct 20 allowing thepreconditioned air unit 10 to heat ambient air in case of low ambientair temperatures.

As most clearly shown in FIG. 2, the illustrated preconditioned air unit10 has four similar compartments 34 for receiving and holding fourrespective, identical self-contained cooling modules 36.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the self-contained cooling modules 36comprises a refrigeration system including a compressor 38, a condenser40, an expansion valve 42, and an evaporator 44 connected in series in arefrigerant flow circuit containing a refrigerant selected in accordancewith the expected high end ambient temperature of the airport inquestion, e.g. R134a selected for operation at high end ambienttemperatures around 40° C. The refrigerant flow circuit forms a closedand sealed loop. Each of the self-contained cooling modules 36 operatesin accordance with well-known refrigerator principles.

Each of the self-contained cooling modules 36 can be installed in thehousing 12 of the main unit without interfering with the refrigerationsystem of the module 36 so that assembly and possible disassembly ofself-contained cooling modules 36 in the preconditioned air unit housing12 can be performed by persons without specific skills in the field ofrefrigeration systems. The self-contained cooling modules 36 may bemanufactured at one site particularly suitable for manufacturing ofrefrigeration systems for subsequent integration with housings 12 of themain unit at a separate site particularly suitable for manufacturing ofairport ground equipment in general thereby increasing manufacturingflexibility and decreasing manufacturing cost of the preconditioned airunit 10. Further, the self-contained cooling module 36 may be stored asa spare part including the refrigerant, whereby repair of apreconditioned air unit without having to perform the cumbersome task ofemptying the preconditioned air unit for refrigerant is made possible.

The power supply, control circuitry, and user interface of thepreconditioned air unit 10 allows the preconditioned air unit 10 tooperate with any number of self-contained cooling modules 36 installed,i.e. the illustrated preconditioned air unit 10 may operate with asingle self-contained cooling module 36 installed in an arbitrarilyselected compartment 34; or, with two self-contained cooling modules 36installed in respective arbitrarily selected compartments 34; or, withthree self-contained cooling modules 36 installed in respectivearbitrarily selected compartments 34; or with four self-containedcooling modules 36 installed in respective compartments 34. In this way,a product line of preconditioned air units 10 is provided making fourdifferent preconditioned air units 10 available with different coolingcapacities based on the same components. This lowers manufacturing costby lowering purchase cost per component, and storage and handling costboth per component and per finished preconditioned air unit 10. Further,a preconditioned air unit 10 already in use in an airport with less thanfour self-contained cooling modules 36 installed may be upgraded on siteby installing one or more self-contained cooling modules 36 in emptycompartments 34.

Preferably, the self-contained cooling modules 36 are removablyinstalled in the housing 12 of the main unit facilitating separation ofan installed self-contained cooling module from the housing 12, e.g.utilizing screws, nuts and bolts for fastening each of theself-contained cooling modules 36 to the housing 12 and utilizingelectrical connectors (not shown) to establish the required electricalinterconnections between the cooling module and the housing 12 when thecooling module 36 is inserted in the housing 12 of the main unit 10.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective the preconditioned air unit of FIG. 1 withtwo self-contained cooling modules 36 withdrawn from the housing 12 ofthe main unit 10. FIG. 5 shows in perspective the preconditioned airunit of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the two self-contained cooling modules 36inserted and installed in the housing 12 of the main unit 10.

The removability of the modules 36 enhances the serviceability of thepreconditioned air unit 10 since a possible malfunctioningself-contained cooling module can be separated from the housing 12 ofthe main unit 10 and replaced with a functioning module 36 with aminimum of down time of the preconditioned air unit 10. One coolingmodule 36 can be replaced in approximately 20 minutes. In the event thata functioning cooling module 36 is not available for substitution of themalfunctioning cooling module 36, the preconditioned air unit 10 willcontinue operation with the remaining cooling modules 36, i.e. thepreconditioned air unit 10 remains fully operational, however with alowered cooling capacity. Further, the malfunctioning module 36 can bemoved for repair at a separate site particularly suitable for repair ofrefrigeration systems. Also, the possible requirement of dismounting andmoving the entire preconditioned air unit for repair of a coolingcircuit is hereby reduced. Preferably, the self-contained cooling module36 has physical dimensions suitable for movement by a fork lift truck 47as illustrated in FIG. 4 facilitating transportation of the module 36,e.g. for storage, assembly into a preconditioned air unit 10, andservice. For example, a malfunctioning module 36 can be removed from thehousing 12 with a fork lift truck 47 and a properly functioning module36 can be installed in the housing 12 with a fork lift truck 47.

In the illustrated preconditioned air unit 10, the evaporator 44 of eachself-contained cooling module 36 is positioned inside the flow duct 20through a slot in the wall 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d when installed in thehousing 12 of the main unit for optimum heat exchange with the air flowin the duct 20. The evaporator 44 has a large number of channels forpassage of the air flow in the duct 20 providing a large surface of heatexchange between the air flow and the refrigerant flowing inside theevaporator 44 as is well-known in the art of refrigeration systems. Theslots in the walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d are sealed when the respectiveself-contained cooling modules 36 are mounted in their operationalpositions in the compartments 34. In absence of a self-contained coolingmodule 36, the slot is sealed with a cover plate.

Cooling in multiple steps as provided by a plurality of self-containedcooling modules 36 efficiently condenses the air humidity and protectsthe last downstream evaporator 44 from freezing over. A stainless steelcondensate pan (not shown) and integrated condensate pump (not shown)ensure that the condensation moisture is removed in a controlled way.

The cooling air leaves the illustrated preconditioned air unit throughone or two 14″ hoses.

Each of the compressors 38 of the self-contained cooling modules 36 maybe powered from a variable frequency driver 46 also located in therespective self-contained cooling module 36. In a conventionalpreconditioned air unit, the compressor is supplied from the mainssupply, i.e. with an AC voltage of 50 Hz in Europe and 60 Hz in USA.Thus, the capacity of the compressor is limited by the frequency of themains supply. This limitation does not exist in the new preconditionedair unit 10. Advantageously, the VFD-controller is capable of varyingthe output voltage and frequency of the variable frequency driver 46 inorder to control the compressor 38 in accordance with the currentcooling requirement. In the illustrated preconditioned air unit, thevariable frequency driver 46 keeps the ratio between the output voltageand the frequency substantially constant to maintain a high motor torquethroughout the entire output frequency range. The output voltage andfrequency supplied by the variable frequency driver 46 is controlled bythe VFD-controller in a way well-known in the art of variable frequencydrivers. Preferably, the VFD-controller is capable of controlling thevariable frequency driver 46 to output a variable output frequency, e.g.ranging from 0 Hz to the maximum rated frequency of the compressor 38,whereby each of the compressors 38 supplied from a respective variablefrequency driver 46 may be controlled for provision of variable coolingcapacity.

Each of the self-contained cooling modules has temperature sensors (39in FIG. 6) in electrical connection with the VFD-controller of themodule 36 and mounted for sensing temperatures in the air flow up-streamand down-stream of the evaporator 44 and transmitting the sensedtemperature values to the VFD-controller, and the VFD-controllercontrols the cooling capacity of the compressor 38 in response to thesensed temperatures.

Each of the self-contained cooling modules 36 operates continuously,i.e. the output voltage and frequency of the variable frequency driver46 are adjusted to levels required by the compressor 38 in order for itto cool the airflow having interacted with the evaporator 44substantially to the temperature setting. This increases the life timeand decreases power consumption of the cooling modules 36 as compared toon/off control of the compressors 38.

The preconditioned air unit 10 further comprises two condenser fans 48mounted across apertures in the side wall 50 for generation of condenserairflow causing ambient air to enter the housing 12 through apertures inthe self-contained cooling modules 36 covered by the condensers 40 asindicated by arrows 52 a-52 f for heat removal from the heat exchangingsurfaces of the condensers 40.

The condenser fans 48 are powered from one variable frequency driver 54.Advantageously, the VFD controller of the variable frequency driver 54is capable of varying the output voltage and frequency of the variablefrequency driver 54 in order to control the condenser fans 48 inaccordance with the current operational requirements, such as currentpressure within the condenser(s), efficiency, etc. Preferably, thevariable frequency driver 54 keeps the ratio between the output voltageand the frequency substantially constant to maintain a high motor torquethroughout the entire output frequency range. The output frequency mayrange from 0 Hz to the maximum rated frequency of the condenser fans.The preconditioned air unit 10 further comprises a variable frequencydriver 56 connected for electrical power supply of the blower 30.Advantageously, the VFD controller of the variable frequency driver 56is capable of varying the output voltage and frequency of the variablefrequency driver 56 in order to control the blower in accordance withthe current operational requirements, primarily the amount of airallowed to be received in the type of aircraft currently connected topreconditioned air unit. Preferably, the variable frequency driver 56keeps the ratio between the output voltage and the frequencysubstantially constant to maintain a high motor torque throughout theentire output frequency range. Preferably, the controller of thevariable frequency driver 56 is capable of controlling the variablefrequency driver 56 to output a variable output frequency, e.g. rangingfrom 0 Hz to the maximum rated frequency of the blower whereby theblower 30 supplied from the variable frequency driver 56 may becontrolled for provision of variable flow rate of the air flow in theflow duct 20, e.g. in response to a user control command, e.g. the typeof aircraft.

The preconditioned air unit 10 has a central controller 60 that isconfigured for controlling the operation of the preconditioned air unit10. The central controller 60 is connected with the user interface panel58 for reception of user commands and for outputting messages to theuser, e.g. on a display of the user interface panel 58, by a loudspeakerof the user interface, etc.

The central controller 60 is connected with all of the VFD-controllersof the preconditioned air unit 10 for individual control of theVFD-controllers. For example, the central controller outputs anindividual temperature setting to each of the VFD-controllers of thepreconditioned air unit 10, and, in response to the individualtemperature setting, each of the VFD-controllers controls the coolingcapacity of the respective compressor 38 to adjust the temperature ofthe airflow having interacted with the corresponding evaporator 44 asrequired. Further, in the event that one of the installed self-containedcooling modules 36 fails, the failing cooling module transmits a failuresignal to the central controller 60 and shuts down. In response to thefailure signal, the central controller 60 operates to automaticallyadjust the required amount of cooling among the remaining properlyoperating self-contained cooling modules 36 of the preconditioned airunit 10.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical interconnections ofvarious modules and subassemblies of the preconditioned air unit 10.

The illustrated preconditioned air unit 10 has a 12-pulse rectifier 62connected to a mains supply input 64 of the preconditioned air unit 10for generation of a power DC voltage supply. Using variable frequencydrivers may generate harmonic distortion of the mains input. To minimizedistortion of the mains input, the three phases of the mains aretransformed into six phases which are rectified in the non-regulated12-pulse full bridge rectifier 62. The combination of the 12-pulserectifier 62, the related transformer 66 and the input filter 68 reduceharmonic feedback into the mains to a minimum. Further, the 12-pulserectifier 62 includes soft start circuitry that limits the inrushcurrent. Still further, utilization of the 12-pulse rectifier 62 resultsin a high input power factor, i.e. a power factor that is larger than0.8; for example 0.96, which in turn results in a reduced input mainscurrent.

The filtered power DC voltage supply is routed to each of thecompartments 34 for power supply of each of the variable frequencydrivers 46 of the self-contained modules 36 when installed in therespective compartments 34.

The filtered power DC voltage supply is further routed to variablefrequency driver 56 for power supply of the blower 30 and to variablefrequency driver 54 for power supply of the two condenser fans 48.

The central controller 60 is based on a micro-controller and a digitalsignal processor that cooperate to regulate, supervise and diagnosepossible external and internal failures. In addition, each variablefrequency driver 46, 54, 56 comprises a micro-controller to performindividual control of devices connected to the variable frequency driverin question. Further, the VFD-controller of each of the self-containingcooling modules 36 monitors the respective refrigeration system anddecreases the cooling capacity or stops cooling if the refrigerantpressure is too low or too high.

The central controller 60 automatically adjusts the cooling performed bythe preconditioned air unit 10 to the selected type of aircraft, theambient temperature, the humidity, the cabin temperature, the outgoingairflow from the preconditioned air unit 10, etc.

The central controller 60 and the variable frequency drivers 46, 54, 56,and the SCR module 70 controlling the heater 32 are interfaced with adata and control bus, which in the illustrated example is the CAN bus.

The preconditioned air unit 10 may share a mains power outlet with otherequipment at the parked aircraft, such as, a ground power unit, a cablecoil, vehicle battery chargers, etc. In order to lower the peak powerrequirement of the shared mains power outlet, the preconditioned airunit 10 comprises a power sharing control input (not shown) for controlof preconditioned air unit 10 power consumption. The power sharingcontrol input may for example be operated to lower the preconditionedair unit 10 power consumption during high load operation of the groundpower unit, e.g. by lowering the cooling capacity provided by thepreconditioned air unit 10 during high load ground power unit operation.The ground power unit typically only operates at maximum load during ashort period of time before push back from the gate until it isdisconnected from the air craft at which point in time the aircraft'sown air conditioning system takes over. Before then, the passenger cabinof the aircraft has already been cooled for some time and thus, loweringthe cooling capacity for a short period of time before push back doesnot seriously diminish the overall performance of the preconditioned airunit 10. In general, lowering the cooling capacity for short periods oftime does not seriously diminish the overall performance of thepreconditioned air unit 10.

FIG. 7 shows the user interface panel 58 of the preconditioned air unit10. The user interface panel 58 includes an LCD display 72 viewable inall weather conditions and displaying all relevant operational data. Thedisplay provides information at different levels: In a default mode, thedisplay shows the status of the preconditioned air unit 10, such asaircraft type, cabin temperature, etc. In an alarm mode, the displayshows type of alarm and alarm history. In a setup mode, the displayshows various parameters that may be adjusted.

The preconditioned air unit includes digital input/output ports, such asgalvanic isolated RS485 port, TCP/IP Ethernet port, etc, for remotecontrol of the preconditioned air unit 10 and monitoring including datadump for service tasks.

The preconditioned air unit 10 may be mounted underneath or on top of anapron drive bridge and move freely with bridge actuation. Alternatively,the preconditioned air unit 10 may be provided with pedestal legs forflexibility in preconditioned air unit location for fixed bridge andhangar applications.

Other preconditioned air units may be provided within the scope of theappended claims. For example, other preconditioned air units may beprovided with different numbers of compartments for self-containedcooling modules, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.,compartments.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6, theself-contained cooling modules operate in a series. Other preconditionedair units may be provided with self-contained cooling modules operatingin parallel; or with operating both in parallel and in series.

For example, FIG. 8 shows a top view of anew preconditioned air unit 10with two sets of self-contained cooling modules 36 a, 36 b, and 36 c, 36d. Within each set, the self-contained cooling modules operate inparallel, and the two sets of self-contained cooling modules operate inseries for supplying preconditioned air to an aircraft parked on theground.

The preconditioned air unit 10 shown in FIG. 8 has a main unit with ahousing 12 with walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, 18 a, 18 b besides top andbottom walls (not shown) defining a flow duct 20. Ambient air entersthrough an air inlet 22 in a side wall 24 of the housing 12. Air isaspirated through an easily replaceable filter 28 that is mounted acrossthe air inlet 22. An optional heater 32 is mounted at the air inlet 22allowing the preconditioned air unit 10 to heat ambient air in case oflow ambient air temperatures.

A blower 30 is connected with the flow duct 20 for generation of therequired air flow from the air inlet 22 toward the air outlet 25. In theillustrated preconditioned air unit 10, the blower 30 is a highlyefficient centrifugal fan. The blower 30 is mounted with vibrationdampers and attached with flexible connections to the flow duct 20. Theflow duct 20 is dimensioned for low air speed in order to prevent freemoist carry-over.

The flow duct 20 has a manifold 21 for expanding the airflow for passageof the condensers 40 operating in parallel. The direction of the airflow is illustrated by arrows 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, 26 d, 26 e. To preventcooling losses, the outer walls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, 14 d, 18 a, 18 bincluding the top wall of the flow duct are provided with a 50 mm thicklayer of heat insulation material. At the bottom of the flow duct, heatinsulation is provided underneath a plate (not shown) for collection ofcondensate.

The illustrated preconditioned air unit 10 has four similar compartments34 for receiving and holding four respective self-contained coolingmodules 36. It should be noted that parallel self-contained coolingmodules to the left and right in FIG. 8 have different lay-outs withcorresponding components positioned differently with respect to eachother in order to obtain the resulting configuration illustrated in FIG.8. Evaporator geometries of parallel operating self-contained modulesalso differ since the air flow passes the respective evaporators inopposite directions with respect to the refrigeration circuit.

The remaining components and the operation of the preconditioned airunit 10 illustrated in FIG. 8 are already explained in connection withthe preconditioned air unit illustrated in the previous Figures and arenot repeated here.

The self-contained cooling modules may be configured in various wayswithin the scope of the appended claims. The core of the self-containedcooling module is the refrigeration system in which the refrigerantflows in a closed and sealed loop within the module so that the modulemay be installed in or removed from the main unit without interferingwith the refrigeration system. The self-contained cooling modules maycontain more than one refrigeration system. Further, other components ofthe preconditioned air unit may be split between the main unit and theself-contained cooling modules in various ways as a matter of designchoice. For example, a preconditioned air unit may be provided in whichthe variable frequency drivers are mounted in the main unit instead ofin the modules, a preconditioned air unit may be provided in which morethan one of the modules are controlled with the same variable frequencydriver; a preconditioned air unit may be provided in which each moduleis provided with its own condenser fan instead of, or supplementing, oneor more condenser fans mounted in the main unit; etc. Further, apreconditioned air unit may be provided in which the self-containedcooling modules cool the air flow in the flow duct independently of eachother, e.g. the main unit may be wired so that a specific predeterminedtemperature is set for each of the compartments whereby a self-containedcooling module installed in a specific compartment receives the settemperature for the compartment in question as an input to the variablefrequency driver controlling the compressor of the module. Stillfurther, a preconditioned air unit may be provided in which at least oneself-contained cooling module contains more than one refrigerationsystem controlled individually by separate variable frequency drivers orin common by one variable frequency driver. Yet still further, apreconditioned air unit may be provided in which at least some of theself-contained cooling modules are different.

FIG. 9 shows two of the new preconditioned air units 10 a, 10 b coupledin parallel in a master-slave configuration. The air outlets 25 a, 25 bof each of the preconditioned air units 10 a, 10 b are connected with acommon hose 74. Proximate the parked aircraft, the common hose 74 issplit into two hoses 76, 78 for supplying corresponding individualinputs of the aircraft for preconditioned air. The master 10 a maycontrol the slave 10 b in such a way that the two preconditioned airunits deliver substantially the same amounts of preconditioned air atsubstantially the same temperature to the parked aircraft.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A preconditioned air unit for supplyingpreconditioned air to an aircraft parked on the ground, thepreconditioned air unit comprising a main unit with a housingaccommodating a flow duct including a partition with an air inlet forambient air and an air outlet for connection to the parked aircraft, ablower connected with the flow duct for generation of an air flow fromthe air inlet toward the air outlet, and a plurality of compartments,each of which is configured for accommodation of a self-containedcooling module comprising at least one refrigeration system, each ofwhich includes at least one compressor, at least one condenser, at leastone expansion valve, and at least one evaporator connected in a flowcircuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein each compartment isfurther configured so that the at least one evaporator interacts withthe air flow in the flow duct when the self-contained cooling module isinstalled in the compartment, and wherein a plurality of self-containedcooling modules are installed in the plurality of compartments.
 2. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe compartments is configured for removable installment of one of theself-contained cooling modules therein.
 3. The preconditioned air unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the self-contained cooling module hasphysical dimensions suitable for movement by a fork lift truck.
 4. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 1, further comprising atleast one variable frequency driver for power supply of at least one ofthe at least one compressor of the at least one self-contained coolingmodule.
 5. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the self-contained cooling modules includes at least onevariable frequency driver connected for power supply of at least one ofthe at least one compressor.
 6. The preconditioned air unit according toclaim 1, further comprising at least one condenser fan for generation ofan airflow interacting with at least one of the at least one condenserof the at least one self-contained cooling module.
 7. The preconditionedair unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of theself-contained cooling modules includes at least one condenser fan forgeneration of an airflow interacting with at least one of the at leastone condenser.
 8. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 6,further comprising at least one variable frequency driver connected forpower supply of at least one of the at least one condenser fan.
 9. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 7, wherein the at least oneself-contained cooling module further comprises at least one variablefrequency driver connected for power supply of at least one of the atleast one condenser fan.
 10. The preconditioned air unit according toclaim 1, wherein the housing further accommodates a variable frequencydriver connected for electrical power supply of the blower.
 11. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 4, wherein at least one ofthe at least one variable frequency driver has a controller that isconfigured for variation of the output frequency of the at least onevariable frequency driver.
 12. The preconditioned air unit according toclaim 11, wherein the controller is configured for variation of theoutput frequency of the at least one variable frequency driver above thefrequency of the mains supply of the preconditioned air unit.
 13. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 11, wherein the controller ofthe at least one variable frequency driver is further configured foradjustment of the output frequency in response to a sensor outputconnected to the controller.
 14. The preconditioned air unit accordingto claim 4, wherein at least one variable frequency driver keeps theratio between the output voltage and the frequency substantiallyconstant to maintain a high motor torque throughout the entire outputfrequency range.
 15. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 1,wherein the housing further accommodates a central controller that isconfigured for controlling the operation of the preconditioned air unit.16. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 15, wherein thecentral controller is connected to at least one controller of thevariable frequency drivers.
 17. The preconditioned air unit according toclaim 15, wherein the central controller has a power sharing controlinput for control of preconditioned air unit power consumption.
 18. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 15, wherein the centralcontroller automatically adjusts the cooling performed by thepreconditioned air unit to at least one of: The selected type ofaircraft, the ambient temperature, the humidity, the cabin temperature,and the outgoing airflow from the preconditioned air unit.
 19. Thepreconditioned air unit according to claim 16, wherein each of therefrigeration systems is configured for failure detection so that, inthe event that one of the refrigeration systems fails, the failingcooling refrigeration system transmits a failure signal to the centralcontroller.
 20. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 19,wherein the central controller is further configured to automaticallyadjust the required amount of cooling among the remaining properlyoperating refrigeration systems of the preconditioned air unit inresponse to the failure signal.
 21. The preconditioned air unitaccording to claim 1, wherein the housing further accommodates arectifier connected to a mains supply input of the preconditioned airunit for generation of a power DC voltage supply.
 22. The preconditionedair unit according to claim 21, wherein the rectifier is selected fromthe group consisting of a 12-pulse rectifier, an 18-pulse rectifier, anda 24-pulse rectifier.
 23. The preconditioned air unit according to claim1, further comprising at least one of: A user interface panel with inputkeys and a display, a remote control, a computer interface, a networkinterface, and a loudspeaker.
 24. The preconditioned air unit accordingto claim 1, further comprising a heater in the flow duct.
 25. A device,comprising: a preconditioned air unit for supplying preconditioned airto an aircraft parked on the ground, the preconditioned air unitincluding: a main unit with a housing accommodating a flow ductincluding a partition with an air inlet for ambient air and an airoutlet for connection to the parked aircraft, a blower connected withthe flow duct for generation of an air flow from the air inlet towardthe air outlet, and a plurality of compartments, each of which isconfigured for accommodation of a self-contained cooling modulecomprising: at least one refrigeration system, each of which includes atleast one compressor, at least one condenser, at least one expansionvalve, and at least one evaporator connected in a flow circuitcontaining a refrigerant, wherein respective evaporators are located inthe flow duct, and wherein at least respective condensers are locatedoutside of the flow duct, wherein each compartment is further configuredso that the at least one evaporator interacts with the air flow in theflow duct when the self-contained cooling module is installed in thecompartment, and wherein a plurality of self-contained cooling modulesare installed in the plurality of compartments.
 26. The device of claim25, wherein: respective condensers and respective compressors arelocated outside the flow duct.
 27. The device of claim 25, wherein: thedevice is configured to draw in ambient air for heat removal of heatfrom the condensers, wherein the ambient air drawn in for heat removalis channeled through the device and exhausted to an ambient environmentof the device.
 28. The device of claim 25, wherein: the inlet and outletare located proximate one another.
 29. The device of claim 25, furthercomprising: a heater located in the flow duct.
 30. The preconditionedair unit according to claim 1, wherein the preconditioned air unit isconfigured such that at least one of the self-contained cooling modulesis located upstream from the blower and at least one of theself-contained cooling modules is located downstream from the blower.31. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 1, wherein: theself-contained cooling modules include respective support structuresseparate from the housing, the respective support structures supportingthe respective at least one compressor, the at least one condenser, theat least one expansion valve and the at least one evaporator of eachself-contained cooling module such that removal of the supportstructures from the housing removes the respective at least onecompressor, the at least one condenser, the at least one expansion valveand the at least one evaporator of each self-contained cooling module.32. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 1, wherein: thepreconditioned air unit is configured to cool air in multiple steps viathe plurality of self-contained cooling modules thereby protecting adownstream evaporator from freezing over.
 33. The preconditioned airunit according to claim 6, wherein the preconditioned air unit includesa component made of metal, and wherein airflow generated by the at leastone condenser fan is separate from the airflow generated by the blowerand travels a separate path from the airflow generated by the blower.34. A preconditioned air unit for supplying preconditioned air to anaircraft parked on the ground, the preconditioned air unit comprising amain unit with a housing accommodating a flow duct including a partitionwith an air inlet for ambient air and an air outlet for connection tothe parked aircraft, both the air inlet and the air outlet being locatedat a same side of the housing, a blower including a blower fan, theblower fan located within the flow duct and configured to generate anair flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet, and a plurality ofcompartments, each of which is configured for accommodation of aself-contained cooling module comprising at least one refrigerationsystem, each of which includes at least one compressor, at least onecondenser, at least one expansion valve, and at least one evaporatorconnected in a flow circuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein eachcompartment is further configured so that the at least one evaporatorinteracts with the air flow in the flow duct when the self-containedcooling module is installed in the compartment, and wherein a pluralityof self-contained cooling modules are installed in the plurality ofcompartments.
 35. The preconditioned air unit according to claim 6,wherein the preconditioned air unit includes a pan.
 36. A preconditionedair unit for supplying preconditioned air to an aircraft parked on theground, the preconditioned air unit comprising a main unit with ahousing accommodating a flow duct including a partition with an airinlet for ambient air and an air outlet for connection to the parkedaircraft, a blower connected with the flow duct for generation of an airflow from the air inlet toward the air outlet, and an enclosure with aplurality of corners, each of which is configured for accommodation of afunctioning cooling circuit comprising at least one refrigerationsystem, each of which includes at least one compressor, at least onecondenser, at least one expansion valve, and at least one evaporatorconnected in a flow circuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein eachcompartment is further configured so that the at least one evaporatorinteracts with the air flow in the flow duct when the self-containedcooling circuit is installed in the compartment, and wherein parts for aplurality of functioning cooling circuits are installed in the pluralityof corners.
 37. The device of claim 25, wherein: the device isconfigured such that the respective self-contained cooling modules aremovable into and out of the housing using a forklift.
 38. The device ofclaim 25, wherein: the device is configured such that the respectiveself-contained cooling modules are movable into and out of the housingby moving the respective modules in a transverse direction to adirection of the flow duct.
 39. The device of claim 25, wherein: thedevice is configured such that the flow of air from the inlet to theoutlet travels in a “U” direction.
 40. The device of claim 25, wherein:the flow duct fluidically links the air inlet to the air outlet.